[Tool] EPW-Bug Repair Tool (Excalibur has no primary weapons)

Luke

Captain
from WCSD Forum (german)

Reference: They forget the guns (tech issue)
Backlinks: CIC News

1. Background

In very rare cases the WCS profile can be corrupted and the Excalibur lose her primary weapons (canons). So continue of the campaign is impossible. The good news is, this bug (between mission 36 and 37) is really very rare and the profile can be repaired. And if the profile is repaired, the campaign can be completely finished.

To understand what exactly is the EPW-bug here are 3 pics. The first one shows the bug, the following pics shows the repair process. To keep this thread clear, i used the thumbnail feature.

screen0085.jpg
The EPW-bug

screen0086.jpg
After repair step 2/3

screen0087.jpg
After repair step 3/3

2. The repair tool

The repair process have 3 steps. Step 1 and 3 can be done in WCS, only for step 2 the tool is needed. So the tool is "minimally invasive". All steps are described in the readme. The tool have several checks included to ensure that the profile have the correct structure for the tool. Only if all 3 checks was positive and the EPW-bug is found, you get the choice for repair.

After starting the tool it is asking you for the corrupted WCS profile, then the tool checks the structure of this profile. If all is fine, you can start the repair process. A backup of your profile will automaticaly be created before the repair begins. All actions have her own validation process and you will be informed by the tool if anything is wrong. If you get an error message, then you can find the description for this message (and what is to do) in the readme.

3. Pictures from the repair process (step 2 of 3)

PicPick_2013-07-16_19_29_12.png

Profile selection

PicPick_2013-07-16_19_29_27.png

All checks successfully, repair can be started.

PicPick_2013-07-16_19_29_32.png

Repair successfully

4. What to do if the tool doesn't accept/repair the profile?

If you have exactly done what i wrote in the readme, then it is maybe a variant of the EPW-bug i don't know. So i need your profile for analysis. The easiest way for sending me your profiles is to use our Support Tool. Select "Include game profiles" additionally and click <Create Support ZIP only>. Or you do this manually:

On your computer you can find the profile files here:

Profile path on Windows XP / Vista / 7
My Documents > Volition > Wing Commander Saga > data > players > single

I need the following files:

Profile files
{profile name}.pl2 <- NEEDED
{profile name}.codename_hermes.cs2 <- NEEDED
{profile name}.prologue.cs2 <- optionally

5. One thing please: give feedback and send me your profile

Every pilot with this bug in his WCS profile, please report here. Also if my tool have successfully repaired your profile. I am still searching for other corrupted profiles. Help me to help you.

At this point thanks to KalEl and Moisha. Without their feedback the tool would never have been possible. :)

6. Known cases

WCS Forum: Moisha, EXRoller
WCS Bugtracker: zamboni59
Wingcenter WCS: KalEl
Wing Commander CIC: EXRoller, Oceankhayne
HLP: CT27

7. Download

Download from wcsaga.org forum thread
 
Last edited by a moderator:
1.0.0.1 2013/7/16
  • Fix: If the WCS profile contains no prologue profile the backup process can't work properly and failed with the error message "Backup has failed!" before the repair begins. (Report: Catty)
  • The most requester have now english buttons instead of local Windows language. This makes step-by-step instructions more simple. Except the FileOpen dialogoue.
 
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